The problem you are trying to solve speaks to your integrity.
“I am just doing what I can!” Ever heard that in face of a massive, insurmountable task. As spiritual as that may sound, it is rooted in western individualism and extremely selfish. It is about you, your avoidance of guilt and a perverted desire to be “faithful.”
Jesus commanded us to disciple all peoples (ethne). He didn’t say just do what you can. He gave us a clear, certain and critical path to his end, make disciple making disciples.
The question should be, “What needs to be done?”, not “What can I do?” The former question drives a ruthless passion to accomplish what our King and Commander asks of us. It is an uncomfortable question because it means that before we entwine our life in the pursuits or career and family, we first fix the mission of the King at the core of our life.
Career, family, leisure are all seen in light of the last command of the King rather than fitting it in where we can.
I wonder where we would be if our English translators had chose “As you go” as the translation of Matthew 28:19 rather than change the participle into the imperative based on its relation to the mood of the verb. (I apologize for the Greek speak, my father needs to know that the thousands he spent on my education is used somewhere!!)
Seth Godin had a post today that spurred me to think about this. The last line in the post drives to wonder if we could simply get outside ourselves and start asking the right question.
Godin writes here:
Pulling a hat out of a rabbit
Remarkable often starts with the problem you set out to solve and the way you choose to solve it.
Another way of putting this, I often challenge people, myself included, with this question:
Do YOU want to reach your city/state with the gospel?
OR
Do you want to SEE your city/state reached?
You cannot say yes to both. One takes you down the path of self-satisfaction as the only driver in the car. The other gives you sleepless nights, prompts you to pray bigger prayers than you ever imagined (and they get bigger every day), commit yourself daily to a life of constant learning and obedience, and MOST importantly, recognize you have to work with others in many uncomfortable ways that are out of your control. Lot’s of other things too….